Improvement in apparatus for automatically operating gas-cocks



SAMUEL GARDINE'R, Jr.

Improvement in Apparatus for Automatically Operating Gas-Cocks.

N0. 118,008. Patented Aug. 15, 1871.

W27 2%??? for ,J/wal 2- LQfieal'r. SAMUEL GARDlNEB,I.-Jr.

Improvement in Apparatus for Automatically Operafi ngfias-Cocks.

-No. 118,008. Paten'ted Aug. 15, 1871 SAAQ M v I UNITED S'ri rrEs PATENT QFFICE.

SAMUEL GARDINER, JR, OF NETY YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING GAS-COCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,008, dated August 15, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL GARDINER, .Tr., of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Turning On and Off Gas, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to an arrangement for turning cocks to gas-pipes by an electro-magnet, or by a power applied directly or indirectly upon the lever of the device to accomplish the same end. To a plate of brass or other metal I attach a barrel incasing a volute spring, such as is used in clocks or watches. This spring I attach, at its inner end, to the shaft or arbor which :l'orms the axis to the barrel, and at its outer end to the side of the barrel itself. A toothed wheel is secured firmly to the shaft or arbor and forms one of the heads of the barrel containing the volute spring. 011 the back of the toothed wheel is a ratchet-wheel, which is firmly attached to the shaft or arbor and moves with it. A pawl, attached to the toothed wheel by a pin on which it swings, has bearing against it a spring secured opposite, on the wheel, to keep it bearing against the ratchetwheel. The pawl moves on the ser- "ated periphery of the ratchet when the spring is being wound up, and prevents the springi'rom unwinding, except by moving the whole system of gearin The wheel which forms one of the heads of the barrel gears into a pinion on a wheel attached to a gas-cock by a pin. The axisot' the gas-cock and pinion are in common. The wheel with the pin attached engages a pinion on a smaller wheel and compels this wheel to move and engage a pinion on a still smaller wheel. This wheel engages a pinion attached to a shaft which has at its other end a toothed wheel working into a screwpinion which drives a fly orbalance-whee] to regulate the speed or movement of the train of wheels. The wheel attached to the gas-cock has drilled through its face, at equidistant intervals, four holes. A stop-bar is secured by a screw to the elevated portion of the plate, which forms a base to the device, and has its end bent and pointed to iit in the holes formed in the wheel attached to and moving with the cock. At the other end of the stop-bar is a spring which bears against a pin in the base-pl ate. This spring serves to press the bent point of the stopbar into the holes in the wheel to stop themove ment of the device at proper intervals. A screw attaches the stop-bar to the base and serves as a fulcrum to the lever ot. the bar. The stopbar has one of its parts extending below the baseplatc, and forms the long arm of the lever. An electro-magnet is placed near the long arm of the lever or stopbar and operates to draw the leverarm toward it as the current of electricity is allowed to influence the magnet. The end of the lever-a rm serves the purpose of an armature. A hook curving from the stop-bar extends toward the fly-wheel or regulator and stops the same when the point ot the stop-bar enters one of the holes oi the wheel having its face perioratral. By this arrangement the strain which would othcrwise fall to the point of the sto )-ba-ris i'elt pro portionately at the fly-wheel and the point of the stop-bar. The small plate screwed to the front head oi. the barrel and bent at right angles over the peri'oratcd wheel tends to keep the coggear ing in its proper place and prevents any binding pressure againstthe stopcock. The wheel immediately under this plate has working between its teeth, as the spring is wound up, the dog which turns on the arbor or shaft which winds the spring, and at each.revolution it enters these spaces successively until it 1' *aches the blank halt oi the periphery. The volute spring is so adjusted that, when the dog reaches the blank, it has received all the windingnecessary, and, as the blank prevents 't'urther winding, it is impossible tor a person to injure the n'lachiimry by winding too tight. This device, in the reverse movement, also prevents the spring from opening beyond a certain point. At the end of the stop-cockis a hand or indicator, which is attached to and nuWes with the same to show on the face of the dial when the gas is on and oii'.

l have hereiubei'ore mentioned that the elec tro-magnet is placed at the end of the stopbar to draw it forward and thus release the point from the pertorated wheel; but instead of this I prefer to have themaguet placed as seen in Fi 3 of the drawing, asit makes a more compact arrangemcnt. In this case the maguethas an indirect action to press instead of d awing the lever or stopbar. A bell-pull arrangement may be substituted, if necessary.

Figure 1 is a section through the ease, and exposing to view the front of the device. Fig. 2 is an end view, showing the dial, indicator, &c. Fig. 25 is a back view without the case. Fig. 4

is a detached view of the fly-wheel and screwpinion working into the small toothed wheel. Fig. 5 is a section on line .1;

bimilar letters of reference are used in correspondin g parts in all the figures.

0 is the drum which ineases the volute sprin D. E is the wheel which forms one head of the drum, and has on its inner edge teeth to gear with the pinion g. L is the ratchet-wheel on the back head of the drum, to prevent a. return movement of the volute spring 1), and which, with the pawl o and spring 12, keeps the spring to its proper tension. '6 is the arbor or shaft, to which is attached the inner end of the volute sprin The ends of the arbor are made square to receive the key which winds up the spring. It is a toothed wheel which engages the pinion j. On the shaft with the pinion j is a toothed wheel, 7., which engages the pinion Z. On the shaft with the pinion is the wheel on, which gears with the pinion a on the shaft 0. At the end of the shaft 0 is a wheel, serrated in its periphery so as to work into the screw-pinion. which is at right angles to the shaft 0. The screwpinion is marked 7", and the wheel which drives the same g. 1 is the liywheel on the shaft of the screw-pinion, which regulates the movement of the machinery. a is the arm which forms a support to the shaft of the screw-pinion, while the other bearing is found in the base-plate. j) is the stop-bar or lever, having its fulcrum at the screw a. This stop-barhas its upper pointj bent and pointed, so thatit may slip into one of the four holes in the wheel h at the proper time to check the movement of the stop-cock. The lever-arm 10 is extended below the case, so that, if desirable, the bell-pull arran gement at 1) may be used to start the cock. K is a small electro-magnet placed within the case and attached to the base-Mate. An armature, attached to a rod which passes between the helices of the magnet, is drawn toward the same when the current of electricity is supplied, which causes the rod (1. to press against the lever-arm and releases the wheel h. The stop-bar or lever has the curved hook a, which is intended to strike the lmlance-wheel (1 at the same time that the point of the stopbar enters one of the holes in the wheel h. The spring :10, which bears against the pin 8, serves to press the bent point of the lever orstop-bar into the holes in the wheel 11. when the long arm of the lever is released. The pin t is riveted to the wheel lb and connects the stop-cock to this wheel. 3 is the joint of the pipe containing the stopcock. A is the gas-pipe, which has screw-threads at either end to receive the nuts which are screwed on when the device is flXG(l in the case M. S is the pin secured to the plug of the gas-cock, and on which. is fixed the hand 1%, which moves over the dial to indicate when the gas is on and off. F is the plate which is screwed to the head of the (ll'llll'l U by the screw m having one end bent at right angles over the wheel h, to hold it firmly in its place and prevent any undue binding of the plug of the gas-cock by the pin 1', which bears against the same.

WVith thisinvention I find that alarge number of gas-cocks could be operated with but a small amount of battery-power. The apparatus, being small and compact, would be of very great convenience in some places where it might be applied. The whole power of the spring, or weight which might be substituted for the spring, is applied directly to the plug or stop-cock. Another advantage is found in the length of time that the apparatus will run after being wound up. After once winding, this device of mine would turn on and off the gas for four weeks, which is about as often. as lamp-cleaners for street-lamps are required to rub off the glass of the lamps.

1 claim 1. The lock-bar 1 with its hookj, s ain 01., and curved hook r, in combination. with the wheel it, having four or more holes upon its face, and the stop-cock, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The arrz'lngement of the lock-bar .1 stop 1', fly q, screw-pinionf, as and for the purpose set forth. 1

3. The arrangement of the eleetro-magnet K, pushingbar (I, and stop-harp, as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. The combination of the bent plate F with the wheel 1!, a, and for the purpose set forth.

\Nitnesses: SAML. GAltlllNElt, Jn.

Enw. W. Donn, EnM. F. BnowN. 

